Loving You
by Laterose
Summary: Sirius and Remus tell Harry all about his parents’ wedding. Switches between timelines. Starts with fluff, ends in chaos! Just how many things can go wrong? My first maruader fic - be nice. COMPLETE.
1. Stories

Title: Loving You 

Author: Laterose

Rating: G, so far (=

Pairing: L/J

Summary: Sirius and Remus tell Harry all about his parents' wedding. Switches between timelines. Starts with fluff, ends in chaos!

_Written for the Wedding writing challenge on **Fawkes Ashes **at _http:// fawkesashes .proboards23. com/index.cgi? _(without the spaces)_

_Authors Notes: Please be nice, this is my first ever mostly-Marauders fic. After much ooh-ing and ah-ing over prospective pairings, I decided to do a wedding story that wasn't in the least romantic, and stick it with Lily and James (= Hopefully this story will win some points for my house (Gryffindor)._

_NB : For the areas in the story where the timeline is current, the story is Alternate Universe. Instead of being killed, Sirius was proven innocent when Pettigrew was captured in the department of mysteries. Apart from that, this _is _the summer after OotP, and Harry got to go straight to Grimmauld place for the summer._

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc belong to Ms. Rowling. DUH. All dates are in accordance with the Harry Potter lexicon timeline._

Chapter 1

28th July 1996

As the last golden rays of the sunset fell behind the tall buildings on the horizon, lights started to flicker on in the city of London. At Number 12, Grimmauld place, there was only one light lit, that of the second living room on the first floor. 

Remus Lupin drew the curtains. "New moon," he said, stretching his arms over his head and behind his back. "My favourite time of the month. Long time since the old full moon, long time till the new full moon. Totally neutral."

"Mm," agreed Sirius Black, who was reclining with his feet up on a leather sofa. "Neutral, yeah." 

Remus rolled his eyes and lowered himself into a comfortable armchair. "You should be in bed, Padfoot," he said, picking up a book and opening it to the bookmark. 

Sirius made a negative sort of huffing noise that blew his hair out of his eyes before it settled back again.

"Well, at least get your boots off that sofa. You'll ruin it."

"Who cares?" Sirius growled. "I'm going to get rid of it all anyway."

"I know that, but some of this stuff is quite valuable," Remus pointed out. "If you treat it well you could fetch a good price for it, and then you wouldn't have to empty your Gringotts vault to buy new things."

"Correction: _vaults_, Moony," said Sirius, still not opening his eyes but shifting down so that his head was on the seat cushion and his boots hung over the edge of the armrest. "And I can't possibly empty them: there's the entire Black family fortune _plus_ the compensation I got from the ministry after the trial. There's so much money that Harry's _grandchildren_ will be able to live their whole lives without working. I doubt a little refurbishing is going to make a dent in that lot."

"I think a job like this might be a bit more than a _little_ refurbishing, Padfoot."

"I don't want anything fancy. That would just defeat the entire object. Some nice, plain, modern furniture, some curtains that let in light once in a while, and bright murals on the walls instead of portraits."

Remus shuddered. "Murals?"

"I'm sure if I gave the Weasley twins a pot of paint and couple of brushes they could come up with something."

"Padfoot, you do _not_ want to let those two anywhere near your walls."

"Can't see why not. Who do they remind you of, eh?"

Remus hardly had to think about this. "You… and James."

"Precisely."

"Even so, unless you want your house transformed into either a pile of rubble or a fruit basket –"

"I could help."

Sirius sat up immediately. Leaning against the doorframe was a short black-haired boy of nearly sixteen years, wearing blue cotton pyjamas at least six sizes too big for him and tied around the waist with a bit of string. For the eighth time that week Sirius resolved to get Harry some clothes that fitted him. 

"I heard you talking," said Harry. 

"Oh really?" said Remus, sounding amused. "From your bedroom, on the other side of the house? That's funny, because usually in this place you wouldn't be able to tell if someone was murdered three rooms away…"

"Oh, all right Professor," said Harry, rolling his eyes. "I couldn't sleep and came to see if you _were _talking. Is it ok if I sit up with you for a bit?"

"Sure, Harry," said Sirius, swinging his legs off the armrest to leave room for Harry to sit down. 

"And call me Remus, Harry, for the sixth hundredth time," said Remus, closing his book on the bookmark again without having turned the page once. 

"Sorry, Professor," said Harry with a grin. Remus frowned. "Okaaay, okay. Remus."

"See, Sirius, _Harry _has proper respect for the furniture," said Remus, glancing approvingly at Harry's bare feet on the dark green carpet. 

"That's just because he had such a sheltered childhood," grinned Sirius. Harry snorted a little at the word _'sheltered'_. "Give him a couple of years with me and he'll be bouncing on the sofa with the rest of them."

"I _am_ nearly sixteen, Sirius," Harry pointed out. 

"So?" said Sirius, looking scandalized.

"Yes, Sirius is _much_ older than sixteen and he _still_ bounces on the sofa," said Remus calmly. 

"Hey!" exclaimed Sirius, then after a pause added: "I'm not _that _much older than sixteen!"

Harry burst out laughing. 

"Now look what you've done," said Remus, with a sigh. "He'll never get to sleep now." 

"Ah, well," said Sirius, lounging back on the sofa. "He's a growing boy, he can stay up."

"Great," sighed Remus. "_Two_ growing boys."

"I can hold an adult conversation," Sirius insisted. 

"Oh really?" said Remus, smiling at last. Harry had been sure that Remus had suddenly forgotten how to do it, and that he would be sombre all evening. 

"Of course," said Sirius. "What do you want to talk about, Harry?"

Harry thought about this. "Tell me a story… about my parents."

"Well, that's an easy one," said Remus, the smile breaking into a grin. 

"Bedtime stories, eh?" Sirius mused, stroking a non-existent beard. "I can do that! Right then… has anyone ever told you about how your father proposed to your mother?"

"No," said Harry, eyes widening. 

"Right then…" said Sirius, taking a deep breath. He appeared to think for a minute before letting it all out again in a huff. "Um… Remus, d'you want to start this one?"

Harry looked expectantly at his ex-Professor, who sighed again and leant back in his chair. 

"Oh, all right then. Well, let's see," he began. "It was the last day at Hogwarts…"

5th June 1978

It was the last day at Hogwarts and the ceiling in great hall was showing a clear night sprinkled with stars. In the far corner the moon obliterated any stars in a wide radius, illuminating the staff table in a soft, silvery light where the candles could not reach.

Other students glanced up at the ceiling and remarked on how beautiful it was. Sitting at the Gryffindor table with one elbow resting on the solid wood, I gazed up too – silently thanking any deities that might be listening for the blissfully crescent shaped moon. Because I could not miss this night. 

It was my last evening at the only place I had ever had friends. The only place where, most of the time, I felt like I belonged. After this – I was on my own. 

Everyone else chattered excitedly, everyone in high spirits. But most excited of all were the seventh years. This was it. Exams were finally over and in a few, terribly short hours we'd be getting on that train and going back to King's Cross station. To begin our lives. 

I had turned only just turned seventeen – blast my younger status – so I'd never used magic, intentionally, that is, outside of school before. My friend Sirius, whose birthday was last June, had apparently caused as much havoc as was humanly possible in the Potter's household during the summer holidays. My other friend James hadn't come of age until November, but he'd got back at Sirius during the Christmas holidays. 

Me, I'd had no experience. 

As a result, the exams for me had been quite possibly the most trying academic challenge of my life – and for me, that's saying something. Luckily James, Sirius, and my other friend Peter had caught me sleeping with my head on a desk where I'd fallen asleep at three o'clock in the morning, and had taken me aside. 

"You've got to lighten _up, _Moony," said James, looking me right in the eyes to emphasise his point. Mean. "They're just _exams_."

I may have overreacted at this point and can't really remember what I said, but I'm pretty sure the speech started with "_Just exams?_" and ended in, "You _do_ realise these exams could determine our _entire_ futures?"

And Sirius had just grinned at me and said: "What kind of future will it be if it's built on exam results?"

"Depends whether they're good results or bad results," I muttered, but I had to admit that my smart if non-academic friends had a point. So I let off a bit of steam that afternoon, basking by the lake with my three best friends – and Lily, James' girlfriend. They've been together now for a year, after the most unlikely get-together in quite possibly the history of the world. Lily and James hated each other for years. 

That day, the day I didn't study for my exams (and there _was _only one of them so I remember) was the day of… the fight. It wasn't a huge fight, not by Lily and James standard, but it was enough to set James' teeth on edge, and now he was sure he'd failed his potions NEWT. Sirius told him not to fuss because according to him, it's not like potions _matters_. This coming from the second-best potions brewer in the year, after Snape. 

Snape was eyeing me from the Slytherin table. There weren't many people there yet – I had decided to come down early. I wanted _my_ last supper to be as long as possible. Peter kept telling me I was being a martyr. I told him to shut up.

              I looked away from Snape. Even he could not ruin this, the last ever night. God, the words were like fire in the brain. 

              As the students began filing into the Great Hall, I looked up in search of my friends. Sirius came first, grinning all over his face like a maniac. What am I saying, he _is_ a maniac. He grinned like that all the time, so I wasn't worried. 

              "What's up, Moony?" he called. "Wait, I know –"

              "Shut _up_," I hissed at him. 

              "Ah come on," he said. "It's the last day."

              I eyed him in a careful, scrutinizing way. It had been known to make my friend stand back before, but it wasn't working this time. He shrugged. "Okay," he promised. "No Moony jokes. Where are the others?"

              I shrugged an 'I don't know' and went back to what I'd been doing before.

              "You're not moping, are you?"

              "Actually that's precisely what I am doing."

              "What for? Tomorrow we're _free_, Moony!"

              I glared at him. "We're not in prison."

              "Could've fooled me," he said cheerfully, before noticing the look on my face a sobering. 

              "Look," he said. "I get why you don't want to go home. I didn't want to go home either, first five years of school, remember?"

              I did remember. Sirius' mood both before and after each term ran its course was not to be tampered with. Except both this year and the year before when Sirius had been living with James' family. Lucky bastard.

               "So get out of your house, come live near us and get a job that'll keep you on your feet till your forms for the Magical Research Department come through, ok?"

              I was surprised less at Sirius' reassurance than his memory of what Department I'd asked to be assigned to. According to him, my original idea of a career in journalism would be sooo much more exciting. 

              "Whatever," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Let's just enjoy the night."

              Peter and James came through the double doors together. "Hey guys!" Sirius yelled, as though they hadn't noticed us. "Over here!"

              "I'll be with you in a second!" James yelled back, heading to the staff table to talk to Professor Dumbledore. No doubt last minute discussions about his NEWT papers. Dumbledore kept assuring him that they would eventually come through, but noooo, that wasn't good enough. Hey, _I_ was worried too, but I didn't need my Potions Outstanding to get into Magical Research. At least Sirius was more relaxed about the whole thing.

              Lily Evans, the main conspirator in the supposedly lost NEWT, was sitting chatting to her best friend, Sarah Nells. As usual, they were a complete contrast – Lily rather tanned with red hair that absorbed instead of reflecting light, and Sarah lit up like a candle in the glow of the torches, pale skin shining against the white-blondeness of her hair. 

              Sirius punched me in the arm, hard, over the table, as Peter sat down next to me. "Mooning over Sarah again, Moony?" 

              Peter sniggered. It was at least the sixth time I'd heard this joke and it wasn't even remotely funny anymore. 

              "No I am not," I informed him, sharply. "Er… James and Lily haven't made up yet, have they?"

              "Nope," said Peter. I sighed. While James and Lily were 'out of sorts', the three of us were forbidden to talk to her or indeed any of her fellow 'conspirators', unless in a very dire situation, such as certain death if the rule was observed, or getting partnered in class. I had insisted on this last one. My marks were _not_ going down just because of another squabble. 

              "Bad luck, Moons," said Sirius. "You can call her over the summer. Did I say summer? How silly of me. Because we're _never coming back to school_."

              "No need to keep reminding us, Sirius," I told him, and it was true. 

              "The never ending summer," Sirius continued, not listening.

              "Sirius, there is such a thing as _work_, you know."

              "Oh that," he admitted. Before I could lecture him, however, James slid onto the seat next to Sirius and punched him good naturedly on the shoulder. 

              "The more customary greeting is 'hello'," Sirius said, rubbing his arm. 

              "Goodness, did I just hear a _long _word?" said a greasy voice from somewhere behind the other two – and there was only one person in the school who could even _sound _greasy. Making simultaneously disgusted faces, James and Sirius turned around. Severus Snape was standing there. 

              "So," said Snape, pushing a lock of oily hair out of his eyes and half-smiling. "What's the plan?"

              No one said anything. Even James had to admit afterwards that this one had stumped him a little. 

              "I mean, it's the last day, right?" said Snape, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "You must have _something_ hidden away in that little plot sack of yours?"

              Sirius made to get up, but James, very surprisingly, pulled him back down. One of the factors that had led to Lily and James getting together had been a bet that had meant James being nice to Snape for a week, but that, right then, seemed like an eternity ago.

              "Push off, Snape," James said calmly, turning his back on his archrival in more sense than one. Even more surprisingly, Snape did push off. He slunk back to the Slytherin table, every so often throwing suspicious glances over his shoulder.

              We knew that everyone suspected something monumental was about to happen. After seven glorious years, the Marauders were at last leaving Hogwarts, and no one even considered the thought that we wouldn't go out with a bang. Looking up at the teachers' table, I saw that more than one pair of eyes was carefully trained on the four of us, sitting oh-so-quietly at the Gryffindor table. Yes, everyone suspected something was going to happen. 

              Except the Marauders themselves. 

              We'd _talked _about it sure, gone over millions of ideas (most of which we'd already tried) for our last stand at Hogwarts, for the biggest prank ever to be played in the history of the school. It had been James who had at last decided that the best thing we could possibly do – would be to do nothing. 

Keep 'em on their toes, he'd said. Let 'em think that any second something's about to explode. And then, at the end of the evening, we'd stand up, take a bow, and thank everyone for being our audience this evening. According to James, they'd never know what had hit them, because nothing will have hit. 

              Sirius was not to pleased with this underhanded approach to our last night. I suppose he would have been a lot happier with a couple of dungbombs in his pocket and an insulting note tucked into the lining of his cloak – but James had been insistent. All pranks would cease the moment the feast started. 

              And boy, did it start. The food, as always, was delicious – the house elves, no doubt remembering all the times we'd come to see them and let them serve us, had really outdone themselves – and the dessert course in particular was spectacular – on the Gryffindor table, a life-sized lion made entirely out of sugar, on the Ravenclaw table, a chocolate eagle spreading it's wings, for the Hufflepuffs, an enormous lemon cake in the shape of a badger, and an enlarged white-chocolate cobra sat amidst the Slytherins, poised and ready to strike. The animals moved along the table, allowing the students to break pieces off and stuff them in their mouths. By the time the lion reached our end of the table, only the head was left, floating by itself. It turned to face the hall, roared once, making everyone jump, and landed with a bump on James' plate. James stared at it for a minute before breaking it into four.

              Yes, it was a marvellous evening. But it wasn't over yet.

              When everyone had finished eating, Dumbledore stood up. "Well," he said. "It is the end of another year at Hogwarts –" Everyone screamed and applauded, drowning out the rest of the Headmaster's sentence. He smiled and waited until we'd finished.

              "I will not say much," he said, earning himself another round of applause. It was at that moment I glanced at James. He looked terrified.

              "James?" I hissed.   

              "I will only say that I look forward to seeing you all next summer, and to our seventh years, who will not be returning, good luck."

              This time Sirius, Peter and I did not clap. We were too worried about our friend, who now looked as though he was about to be sick. "James?" Sirius asked. "You okay, mate?"

              "However, there is one person who would like to say a little more," Dumbledore continued cheerfully. "I now hand the stage… to our resident Head Boy, James Potter."

              The hall cheered. We froze. "James?" Sirius asked, now more confused and angry than concerned. 

              "Guess that's my cue," said James hoarsely, standing up and pulling out his wand. With it he pointed to his throat and said: "_Sonorous_".


	2. Breadcrumbs

Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc belong to J.K.Rowling – duh. The song 'Loving You' is from the musical 'Passion' by Peter Gabriel.

Apologies for the fluff at the beginning of this chapter. It was necessary to get the engaged, and I thought it was kinda cute. 

----

Loving You - Chapter 2

"Well," said James, standing up and making his way towards the front of the hall, his voice magically magnified so that everyone could hear him. "It's been a really amazing year. A really amazing _seven_ years, in fact," he smiled as several of the older students clapped. Sirius, Peter and I would have, but we were still wondering why on earth James hadn't told us that he was going to do an end of year speech. No other Head Boy had ever had to do it.

"What's going on?" Sirius hissed, as if I would know.

"No idea," said Peter, narrowing his eyes slightly at the fourth member of our party who was now grinning all over his face and showing no sign of the fear that had apparently gripped him only moments before. It was always like this when James took the stage.

"I've, ah – had some great times at this school," James went on. Glancing over at Lily, I saw her glaring at him with the furiosity that she generally reserved just for him. She obviously wanted to know why _she,_ as Head Girl, had not been included in this. She noticed me looking and jerked her hands up sharply in a 'What the hell is he doing?' expression. I shrugged, and turned back to the boy in question. 

"I've had some great teachers," said James. "And some really great friends. I've learned a whole lot of great lessons," he grinned at Professor McGonagall, who nodded at him – no matter how many detentions James had got from her during his time at Hogwarts (1,352 – he'd been counting) we knew the Transfiguration Professor was going to miss her star pupil. 

"But most of all," James continued, and now he was starting to look nervous. He scratched absentmindedly at one elbow. "Most of all – I've got this amazing girlfriend."

In unison, the whole hall turned to look at Lily. She flushed instantly and put her hands to her mouth. 

"I made a promise," James continued, tugging at his collar as though it was suddenly choking him. "To my girlfriend, last year. She's probably forgotten it by now, but I sure haven't."

Lily looked at us, her eyes wide with terror. "Oh god," she whispered. "What's he going to do?"

"What did he promise?" Sirius demanded, but James had already started speaking again. 

"Lily," he said, "I'm gonna do something special for you – and you'd better pay attention because it's the one and only time I'm ever going to do it." He pulled out his wand and made some very, very intricate signs in the air. Trying to follow them, I realised that it was a music spell. I saw a piano, a violin and a harp before I lost track – and I can usually keep track of most complex charms. This was very advanced magic. 

"Sirius? Does James take music lessons in the summer?"

"Um… yes."

"Oh. Wizard teacher?"

"Oh, definitely."

"Ah."

"Remus, what's he _doing_?" Lily squeaked – right before the music started to play. It was a slow tune, outlined by soft scales of violins, a clarinet moving mostly in thirds, and the plucking of violin strings. Then most of the instruments faded away, and James started to sing – with the simple accompaniment of piano chords. His voice was a rough tenor, and as he sang his eyes were fixed on Lily, who stared resolutely back at him.

"Loving you is not a choice  
It's who I am,"

A lone clarinet joined him, playing in perfect harmony as the harp strummed out the occasional chord.

"Loving you is not a choice  
And not much reason to rejoice,"

At this James smiled sheepishly and Sarah Nells stuck her hand in her mouth to keep from laughing.

"But it gives me purpose  
Gives me voice – 

To say to the world…  
This is why I live  
You are why I live

This is why I live…"

At last, Lily smiled, just as the clarinet rose and the instruments all came in at once. James was not a brilliant singer, but the words seemed to make an impression on her heart.

"Loving you is why I do the things I do  
Loving you is not in my control  
Loving you I have a goal of what's left in my life  
I will live and I would die for you!"

The music rose in a crescendo, the violins leading the clarinet to it's peak –

"You give me purpose  
You give me voice to say to the world  
This is why I live  
Yes this is why I live!"

A clash of cymbals and another huge rush of sound brought tears to Lily's eyes. She tried to hide them by brushing them away on her sleeve but Sarah pulled her arm down.

  
"Loving you is why I do the things I do  
Loving you is not in not in my control…  
But loving you I have a goal of what's left in my life  
I will live and I would die for you…"

The music died away slowly, ever so slowly, and some people started to clap, but James held up his hand for silence. "Lily," he said, his voice still magnified as he walked towards her and went down on one knee. Sarah squeaked and pushed everyone else away to give them space. The three of us stared dumbfounded at our friend kneeling in front of Lily Evans, who looked absolutely terrified. The hall was completely and utterly silence. If we were guessing right, then today, James Potter would be making history. 

"Lily," James said again. "I love you." He pulled a small box from his pocket and flipped it open, letting her see what was inside. "Will you marry me?"

Lily stared at him. Several of her girlfriends were noticeably crying. She smiled, and closed James' hand over the box. Then she said –

28th July 1996

"What?" Harry asked, when Remus paused in his telling. "What did she say?" Both Harry _and_ Sirius were on the edge of the sofa, totally enthralled in the telling.  

"Yeah, what happened, Moony?" Sirius begged, even though he'd been there. 

"She said…" Remus started. "She said: 'Oh, James – "

5th June 1978

"Oh James," said Lily. "I'm afraid I want to wait a bit longer before I make a commitment."

James' mouth fell open. My own heart, which had been in my throat up until then, dropped into the pit of my stomach. 

"Lily?" Sarah gasped. 

There was a pause while the hall waited for someone to say something. Then James mumbled: "Oh. Ok…" and started to put the ring back inside his pocket.

"Wait's over!" Lily cried. "Of course I'll marry you!"

The hall burst into screams and applause as James gasped in relief. He swept his fiancée up in his arms and whirled her around to a sudden burst of violins and cymbals. Eventually he put her down and they gazed into each other's eyes for a while. Then – they kissed. The Gryffindors catcalled, the Slytherins booed, the Hufflepuffs cried and the Ravenclaws laughed, but they were oblivious to everything going on around them. What we had all believed to be a long-standing crush… was love. At the staff table, McGonagall, Dumbledore and Hagrid all had tears streaming down their faces unashamedly. 

"Well," said Sirius eventually. "That was _loads_ better than any prank we could've pulled on the Slytherins!"

28th July 1996

"I never!" Sirius protested. 

"Oh yes you did," Remus argued. "And then Sarah Nells hit you over the back of the head with the roll she'd been saving for the train journey."

Harry's eyes shone. "I had no idea my parents got engaged when they were still in school," he said. 

"Well, they had to wait a bit before they got married of course," said Sirius. "James hadn't just sprung it on _us_ – his parents nearly had heart attacks when he came home and told them he was going to get married within the year. When his mum had stopped crying she drew up this enormous guest list – and it took ages just to find somewhere big enough…"

He paused. 

"Go on!" Harry urged him. The two grownups noticed that somewhere during Remus' story Harry had pulled his bare feet up onto the sofa and was hugging his knees to his chest in anticipation. He sighed and gave up any hopes he might have had for the future of Sirius' furniture.

"Nuh-uh," said Sirius. "Remus can tell it."

"I don't think so," Remus chuckled. "I thought the argument was that _you_ couldn't hold an adult conversation? I told the proposal – _you_ can tell the wedding."

"Pleeeease, Sirius?" Harry begged. Sirius gave in at the sight of Harry's green eyes – so much like Lily's – shining with longing.

"Oh all right," he said. "Well, in the end they found this hall that was big enough – or rather, Lily's dad found it. He also paid for it, even though Richard – that's your grandfather – said he was going to foot all the bills. Then, the day before the wedding…"

30th November 1978

It was the day before the wedding. Sitting up in bed and staring at my not-so-tidy room, I decided for the fourth time that month that it was time I got my own house. I _could_ have, you understand, what with my Auror's wages, but the right opportunity hadn't really presented itself as yet. 

I'd been really uncomfortable about the whole thing when James and Lily had got their own house. Godric's Hollow was a gorgeous place, and not too far away from where James' parents lived. Lily's mother, it had to be said, hadn't been one hundred percent happy with the arrangement, but the kids _were _getting married, after all – it was only fair that they got to live with each other a couple of months before the wedding. And they hadn't had to pay a penny because the house had belonged to the Potters for years; it was just a matter of a few signatures being scrawled onto official documents as Richard Potter handed over the property to his son. Not really, it must be said, out of generosity – apparently it was leaning on his tax payments. 

No, it was me that was the problem. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do. I couldn't really stay where I'd lived for the last two years – I'd stayed with James, with James' family. Some people do live with their parents for ages, maybe even their whole lives (like elephants) but I mean, living with someone _else's _parents?

Luckily, my best friend had solved the problem before I could get really uncomfortable about living in James' house without James in it. "Padfoot," he'd said. "Until you get off your bum and actually buy yourself an apartment, me and Lily would like you to come and stay with us." It was crude, but it was the only invitation I was likely to receive, so I took it. I had someone looking for a place for me, of course, but this would do for the time being. More than do. 

Anyway, owing to the fact that I'd been living in the same house since August, I'd been very much caught up in the young couples' wedding plans. It had started to grate on the nerves, listening to all the bickering about flowers and colours and place settings. Lily wanted a traditional, _Muggle_ wedding, with all the trimmings. James couldn't see why we couldn't just decorate the place with a flick of a wand. Eventually though, the latter had given in. "My darling," he'd said. "I really don't care what it looks like. I don't care if you turn up wearing slacks and gardening overalls – as long as you're there, everything will be perfect."

I couldn't resist sticking my fingers down my throat in James' direction at this sentiment, but Lily, surprisingly enough, had fallen for it, and everything was all right again. James winked at me behind her back.

It was the phone that had woken me up, I realised, looking at the clock and seeing that it was only 8:00. Nothing else could have woken me that early. I used an alarm charm when I needed to get up, which was every day of the week except two – my scheduled days off. On those days I usually slept till noon, and could have slept later if it hadn't been for the incessant hunger that usually crept in by that time. 

Anyway, all the Aurors who had been invited to the wedding, and of course, James, had been given tomorrow off – and the groom and his best man had also been given this day for preparation. I'd been hoping to sleep until at least two, but the phones that Lily had _insisted_ on installing on both floors made such a piercing, unnatural sound that they never failed to jerk me out of a well-earned slumber. 

Grumbling, I grabbed some clothes and clambered into them, knowing that the dress-robes Lily had made me buy for tomorrow were going to be so uncomfortable that I would need to save up some comfort starting from now.

Lily was on the phone when I got downstairs. James was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a banana. "You're up early," he said.

"Blasted… _machine_," I said, nodding towards the phone and grabbing an apple as I sat down. "It never fails."

"I know," said James. "At least you don't have one right by the side of your bed. I had my wand out ready to curse the damn thing before I knew what I was doing."

"Who's ringing so early?" I asked. James grinned. 

"Despite all appearances, Padfoot, the sun is in fact up," he said, motioning towards the window where the sun was, against all laws of courtesy, up. It was also covered with clouds, however, so that was all right. 

"Why did you have to get married in winter?" I asked, unsure as to whether I'd asked this before. "It's horrible out there."

"Be thankful you're not on the job," was all James said. 

"Oh, I am thankful," I said_. It's just that I'd be a lot more thankful if I was still in bed._ I didn't say that out loud, though. James and Lily were the ones providing that bed, and I didn't want it suddenly ripped out from under me. 

"Oh NO!" Lily suddenly exclaimed from the phone. "You're JOKING!"

"And another thing about those things," I said. "Is that you can only hear one half of the conversation. You have to wait until the end until you get to know what's going on."

James nodded his agreement, but seemed more worried about whatever the phone had told Lily. 

"Oh, I can't believe it," Lily said, exasperated. "But it's tomorrow! Isn't there anyone else available?"

Oh boy. Problem with the wedding plans. 

"Oh fine," she suddenly snapped. "You can bet I'm not asking for this service again. My mother recommended you, but it looks like you've gone seriously downhill since her time. I'm going to go with my fiancé's original plan. Yes, thanks a lot for nothing. Goodbye."

When Lily turned back to us we couldn't help sliding over a little bit in our seats. She was furious. "It's the caterers," she said. "It turns out that the group they were going to send over have been caught carrying a truck full of cannabis, and there's no other parties available for tomorrow because of all the other people wanting to get married on the first."

"A truck full of what?" James exclaimed.

"Cannabis. It's a Muggle drug."

"Oh. It that… erm…"

"Illegal? Yes."

"Oh? So… House Elves, then?"

Lily sighed. "Yes. Since there's no other alternative. But someone is going to have to stick by and make _sure _they do it _right._"

Both of them turned to look at me.

"Me?" I gasped. 

"You," said Lily. "This can be your special task as best man."

"But I already _have _a special task! You know, the rings and stuff. Can't Sarah do it?"

"Sarah will be there as well. I'll ask her to help." What this meant was, I'll _make_ her help. Lily pulled out a thin book from the kitchen's one shelf. "Here," she said. "That'll tell you all about traditional wedding food. And I want _you_ to oversee the making of the cake… _personally_."                           

Gulp.

So that is how I found myself reading and re-reading the slim volume oh-so-aptly named _Wedding Delights_, and burning the pictures into my mind. After an hour of trying to memorise this stuff (hell, after passing Auror training I thought my years of memorising things were over!) James came into the living room and occupied the chair opposite. In my panic, I'd gradually spread until I was covering the whole sofa. 

"How's it going?"

"Bad question," I growled, slamming the book shut. "Where've you been?"

"Hogwarts," he said calmly. 

"Did you get the House Elves?" I asked, "'Cos I'd hate to find out I've been reading this for nothing." I held up the evil book threateningly. 

"Yeah, I got them," he said. "Dumbledore was really nice about lending them. Apparently half of them belong to me anyway."

"Sorry?" 

"Yeah. Apparently they're on loan from my great, great, great…"

"Ok, I get the idea," I told him, raising myself up on one elbow and stretching out the kinks in my other arm. 

We heard the unmistakeable sound of someone arriving by Floo. "That'll be Sarah," said James, standing up. He looked remarkably nervous – once Sarah took Lily to her flat then James would not see her until they stood at the altar together the next day. He got up and went to the door. "Coming?"

"Only if it'll make you feel better," I said, rolling off the sofa and getting to my feet. _Anything_ was better than reading that stupid book. 

Sarah Nells was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Lily had a bag over her shoulder as she thumped down the stairs. "Hey, guys!" Sarah called. 

"Hi," I said. James didn't speak, he just hugged Lily as she made the last step. 

"Do you have to go?" I heard him say.

"Er… yes, dear," she said. "It's bad luck if you see me before the wedding."

"Well, ok then. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye dear." They hugged. Lily _knew_ what she was doing to James and was enjoying every minute of it. "And _you_," she said, looking over James' shoulder at me, "Don't mess anything up."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," I said, leaning against the corridor wall as Sarah giggled from the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lily."

"The car will be here at exactly ten o'clock tomorrow morning," Lily reminded the two of us as she stepped into the kitchen and grabbed the pot of Floo powder from the mantelpiece. "Sirius, get someone to show you where the kitchens are and stay there until everything is _perfect_. James…" she smiled at him. "Just… be there."

"Do you really think I wouldn't show up to my own wedding?" 

"It's been known to happen," said Lily, as Sarah disappeared into the flames. 

"In that case, you'd better come, too," James told her. She just smiled, stepped into the green fire and yelled Sarah's address, whereupon she disappeared with a 'whoosh!' and the fire settled once more.__

"Sirius?" James said once they'd left.

"Yeah?" 

"Why am I doing this?"

"Personally, I have no idea. But you must have been thinking _something_ when you organized that showy proposal." It wasn't the best of reassurances to a groom who had pre-marriage jitters. Remus or Peter would have probably said something like: 'Because you love her'. Me, I spoke from the heart.

"Yeah," said James. "That's true." 

And as I had predicted, my well-chosen words worked. He smiled.

1st December 1978

              The next morning, both of us were up before the sun rose. Before daybreak is a very unnatural time for any humanoid creature to be up and in motion, but for me in particular the notion is practically mind shattering. But we were, all the same.

              This was not my fault, however. James had been pacing up and down his bedroom floor for ten full minutes before I finally gave up on sleep and got dressed. I had to force him to eat when I finally dragged him down to the kitchen. "This was your idea," I kept reminding him. He looked like he seriously regretted it and kept turning the colour of an un-ripe tomato. He went to the loo a lot. 

              I very severely hoped that this was normal pre-groom behaviour. _Very_ thankfully, Moony came along to help me at half-past nine. 

              "_Remus_!" I breathed in relief when he stepped calmly out of the kitchen fireplace. "You've _got_ to help me – he isn't even dressed and the car's going to be here in half an hour!"

              He stared at me. "I've never known you to care whether you're late for anything!"

              "Remus, if James doesn't show and it's _my fault_, Lily will pound me into… into…"

              "Mincemeat?"

              "Breadcrumbs! And then she'll take me outside and feed me to the birds, and I'll end up as something white and sloppy on the head of some statue!"

              "Ok, got your point. Where is he?"

              "In the loo. Again."

              "James?" Remus called, knocking gently on the bathroom door. "You ok in there?"

              "'M fine, Moons," came the muffled reply. 

              "We'll be late if you don't get dressed soon, you know."

              "I know! But if I put those things on, I _know_ I'll be sick all over them!"

              _That_ was a bit of an unfair statement. I'd seen his robes, and they weren't _that_ bad.

              "Put it this way," I called through the bathroom door. "You can either get them on, get going, and possibly get sick, or don't get them on, don't get going, and definitely get Lily entirely over you in the space of two hours." 

              Remus glared at me. "I was _going_ for the subtle, calming approach," he told me stiffly. 

              It _worked_, though. James came out in his pyjama bottoms, still looking a little green but smiling. "Good point," he said. "I'll go get changed." We watched him run up the stairs.

              "You see?" I said, folding my arms at Remus. "I'm completely in control here. It's all going to be _fine_."

              Remus coughed. The cough sounded suspiciously like _"breadcrumbs."_

**----**

Aha, the hilarity begins. Let's see just how many things can go wrong at this wedding!

Don't forget to review!

~*Laterose*~


	3. Rings

**Well here it is, Chapter three! I've also gone through and revised the other two chapters for silly mistakes, so hopefully most of those have gone. ******

**---**

Loving You – Chapter Three

1st December 1978

The car arrived, as promised, at ten o'clock. We were lucky – James only just managed to get changed and polished before the large black vehicle cruised into place just outside the front gates. Did I mention how large this place was? They had a drive the length of the Themes and the gates were like two enormous bat's wings – except they were painted green. Bright green, that is, not Slytherin green. You can't be in Gryffindor for seven years and not have an aversion to that colour.

              Anyway, Moony let it in and the thing moved up to the front door. I have to admit I was a _bit_ dubious about this. I'd _seen_ them, sure, and I knew plenty of wizarding families had them, but I, personally, had never actually been inside one. 

              _It can't be any worse than a motorbike_, I told myself. _What are you Black, a man or a Muggle?_

              "Good morning," said the driver in a posh accent when we all clambered into the car, Remus in the front, me and James in the back. He looked a little fazed at our robes but quickly got over it. 

              "Fancy dress wedding, eh?" he chuckled. "I had a whole group last month that were all done up like cowboys."

              "Is that right?" James asked vaguely. He looked at me and I could tell he was trying desperately not to laugh. I looked away quickly to save myself the same embarrassment. 

              "So who's the lucky groom?" the driver asked as he restarted the car. I jumped as the machinery rumbled suddenly underneath me. _Motorbike_, I reminded myself. _It's a motorbike with walls and a floor._

              "Oh, that would be me," said James, going white again. 

              "Well, don't be nervous, lad." This seemed like a particularly stupid thing to say as James had already been sick once this morning and was now feasting his eyes hungrily on the view outside the window as though it might make him feel better. 

              As soon as this thought crossed my mind, my chin started to feel a bit… stiff. My throat seized up. It was NOT a nice feeling. 

              _Oh god. I'm going to be sick._

              I copied James. The view rushed past in a green and black blur as I tried desperately to keep my breakfast in my stomach. I hated Remus for sitting so calmly in the front seat, and added 'Muggle' to my description of the ideal parent – something I never thought I'd do. 

              _Someone save me from this torture!_ I thought as my chin refused to relax properly. Fortunately the driver seemed to have experienced this sort of thing before. 

              "You lads want to make a stop?" he asked as we drove up to a petrol station. 

              "Yes please," said Remus, looking back and finally noticing that the two of us were incapable of speaking. 

              We were both sick. James in the loo, me in the sink because there was only one cubicle and James took it first. The sound of him throwing up was enough to make me lose my insides quite thoroughly – something which I was grateful for, as when I turned on the tap and the stuff whizzed down the drain, there wasn't anything left to come up. We'd both got some on our robes but after a quick look around to check no one was watching, a quick cleaning charm took care of that. 

              "Sirius, you sit in the front," said Remus when we got back – both pale, but both feeling decidedly better.

              "Why?"

              "Because you don't go up and down so much. Why didn't you tell me you got carsick?"

              "I didn't know! I was always fine on the bike! Besides, what about James?" We both looked over at our friend, who was making small talk with the driver about nerves and was looking quite ill again. 

              "He wasn't carsick," said Remus shortly, and that was the end of that. 

              It was better in the front. By looking out of the window I managed to stay feeling chipper until something banged loudly and the car came to an abrupt halt. 

              "What was _that_?" James demanded. He was rubbing his shoulder where the seatbelt had stopped him from hurtling into the driver's seat. 

              "Ahhh," said the driver, getting out. "Nothing to worry about, gents…"

              But it was something to worry about. There was smoke issuing from the front of the car, and when the driver tentatively opened the bonnet with the sleeve of his jacket as a glove, he started to look very worried. 

              "What's going on?" Remus asked. Luckily we were not on a main road and the other cars were just moving around us, some swearing loudly in our direction, some yelling sympathy for our plight but continuing on their current course. 

              "Oh dear," said the driver. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

              "WHAT?" I yelled at him. So I lost it a bit. He deserved it. 

              "It'll need to go in for servicing."

              The driver suddenly found himself grabbed by the collar and slammed up against the car door. "Then _how_," James growled menacingly. "Am I supposed to get to my wedding?"

              "Steady on, lad," said the driver. "I'll call a reserve car. You'll still meet your lucky lady, don't you worry." James released him. Looking quite shaken, the driver reached for his radio and made his report. The crackly voice from the radio replied. "Right Jim. No problem – we'll be there in half an hour."

              James groaned. "Half an hour?" he whispered to the two of us. "We'll never make it in time. Lily will _kill_ me."

              "So what do we do?" I asked him. He thought about this – his sickness apparently forgotten. 

              "We apparate," he said finally. 

              "Are you _mad_? If you're worrying about Lily killing you then apparating is a quick ticket to the grave, pal," I told him. 

              "We don't have a choice, Sirius. We'll just arrive quietly outside this place and then merge with the crowd, pretending we've been there all along. Lily isn't due to arrive for another hour." 

              Remus nodded. I sighed. If _Remus_ was agreeing, then I wasn't going to back out. Who was the brawn of this little group anyway? "There's just one problem," said Remus. "This place. Do you know where it is?"

              Silence. "Oh good," said Remus.

              "Oi! Driver!" I called. The man looked quite affronted. 

              "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

              "Yeah. What's the address of this… wherever we're going?"

              The man laughed. "I assure you, you won't be able to walk there –"

              "We're not going to," James assured him. "Where is it?"

              The driver sighed and fished in his pocket for the address. He handed it to James. 

              "Thanks, pal," said James, grinning. "See you later." 

              The driver didn't even have time to look confused before we'd started running. We ducked behind a tree several metres away and James unfolded the paper. 

              "St. Mary's Church, High Street, Islestown, Derbyshire," he said. "Got it?"

              Remus grinned and was gone with a soft 'phlip!' 

              "Bastard," said James, in good humour. "How'd he get to be the best at that?" He disapparated. 

              _Lily_, I thought. _I want you to know that I'm doing this against my own free will._ Pop.

              St. Mary's wasn't so much of a church as it was a Cathedral. There were people milling around outside and a couple of cars, already. 

              "Bugger," said James, biting his lip in a most childish fashion. "What now?"

"Hi guys!" someone squeaked from behind us, making us all jump. It was Peter, and he was laughing. Hard. 

              "Oh - my - god…" he gasped. "The looks on your faces… it was like you'd been caught stealing from the kitchens by Filch…"

              "Oh, shut up you moron," said James, hugging him. "Did you see us come in?"

              "Yep," said Peter, grinning evilly. "You wait 'till I tell Lily you –"

              "PETER! You can't! You… you wouldn't? Right?"

              "Oh, I dunno," he said, rubbing his chin absent-mindedly. "Seems like a good blackmail opportunity. Come on, we'll go in the back way."

              "He wouldn't _really _tell, would he?" James asked me nervously as Peter opened the door to the Vespers. 

              "Nah. Lily would take it out on the first thing she saw and that'd probably be him," I said, trying to make light of it.

              "Well," said James, "if he does, he _better _wait 'till after the wedding."

              "Hey! You two coming or what?"

              It wasn't too hard to find the kitchen. It wasn't huge, but it somehow managed to accommodate about fifty House Elves, all of which were scurrying around busily at a speed that made my eyes water. 

              "You're early," said Sarah Nells, standing right in the centre of the organised chaos, where no less than three House Elves were passing a spoon around a huge bowl in order to stir the doughy-looking mixture inside it. She had her blonde hair tied back untidily in a pony tail and dressed in Muggle clothes. I guessed that she would be getting changed later. 

              "Yeah," I said, trying to avoid the subject. "How's Lily?"

              "When I left, she was checking herself over and over again in the mirror," she said, smiling. "As if she could look anything less than perfect."

              "Oh, she can," I told her, remembering the horn-tongue hex (courtesy of yours truly) back in fourth year. 

              "Funny," she said. "You watch this lot, will you? I don't know why Lily's so worried, but I guess it can't hurt to humour her." Sarah, coming from a family of wizards and witches for three generations on her mother's side, and four on her father's, knew that with the Hogwarts House Elves in charge, very little was likely to go wrong. 

              "Right," I said, watching as a House Elf poured milk out of the end of his finger into the mixture. This was quite a disgusting sight for anyone who hadn't seen it before, but luckily I had about sixteen years of experience with House Elves in kitchens. "Um… what are you making?" 

              "This is Mr. Potter's cake, Mr. Black sir," said a House Elf who didn't really seem to be doing anything. "Good morning, Mr. Black sir," it added. 

              "Hi, Dwinkle," I said, grinning. Six years of popping regularly in and out of the Hogwarts kitchens had given all four of us ample opportunity to get to know all the Elves by name. "It's really good to see you. What type of cake is it?"

              This was the worst question I could possibly have asked. Dwinkle couldn't possibly just say 'Lemon'. He had to describe every single aspect of the blasted cake from every possible angle. Luckily, reading that book had actually helped. I understood at least two thirds of what he was talking about.

              While he was talking, I put my hand in my pocket without thinking and found something unexpected. Well, unexpected until I realised what it was. It was the little box that had James and Lily's wedding rings in it. I closed my hand around it. It felt… velvety. 

              I'd been there when James had proposed, but nothing prepared me for the realisation that hit me then. _James is getting married, _I thought. _My best friend…_ I thought about all the times we'd had together, all the fun, all the homework, all the too-short summers, all the detention, all the trouble we'd gotten into. James. The James who'd nearly hexed me on the train when he found out who my father was. The James who'd saved Peter from three huge Slytherin boys in his first year. The James who'd mastered every single Transfiguration trick before anyone else. The James who'd launched a vendetta against Severus Snape and all Slytherins in general. The James who'd suggested we become Animagi to help Remus through his transformations. The James who'd danced three times around the living room to celebrate becoming Head Boy. 

              For some reason, I just could not imagine that James getting married. 

_You're afraid you'll loose him_, said a voice somewhere inside me. 

              _No I'm not. I want James to be happy. _

_              How disgustingly sentimental. _Damn. It was my father's voice. __

_              I won't loose him. Not ever._

              I opened the box inside my pocket and picked up one of the rings. I took it out to look at it and Dwinkle (thankfully) stopped talking. 

              "Sirius!" I jumped and dropped the ring back into my pocket. Sarah was looking over at me from where she was overseeing the arrangement of fruit on a platter. "Want to jump off your broom for a minute?" 

              I grinned at her. "Sorry." I sat back and watched the House Elves make the cake. I figured they could handle it.

              No sooner had I stepped out of the kitchen than I came upon Ignatius Potter – James' uncle, who was to be conducting the service. Wizard law is different than Muggle law – pretty much anyone can marry you as long as you have witnesses and the papers are legal. Lily had wanted a churchman, but James had stomped on this idea (gently) by pointing out that they'd have to find one who knew about magic, which in itself would be quite impossible. As it was, only those of Lily's relatives who knew about her 'unusual' schooling would be attending. This made for a very short list, but there was no way that Lily was going to risk someone doing magic at the service, and then having to obliviate a member of her own family. James' family, however, would certainly make up for the depleted amount of Evans members. 

              Ignatius had been chosen because he'd married James' parents. Don't ask me why this was a factor, it just was – James hadn't even considered asking anyone else. Unfortunately, though, James' parents wedding had been a long time ago, and at some point during that time, Ignatius had become slightly less than reliable.  

              "Mornin' Sirius," he said, trying to take off his hat but missing. He came round to dinner at Mr. and Mrs. Potter's house occasionally, so he knew who I was all too well.

              "Hi, Nat. Where're you off to?"

              "Kitchens, lad, where else?"

              "I think you might be out of luck. Lily's forbidden alcohol in the whole building until the reception."

              The man shrugged, waving a hand that knocked a handle out of its holder. "Y' never know, do ya?"

              "True." I let him go. The chances of him finding anything with which to drink himself senseless before the wedding were pretty slim. 

              Sarah was standing on tiptoe on a stool by the wall, attempting to fix a streamer that had just fallen down.  I couldn't help but laugh at her – she'd left the kitchens before me and during the ten minutes before I followed her she'd obviously got changed into her bridesmaid's dress. This was most definitely not a robe – it clung in all the right places and was pale pink. Sarah HATED pink, but Lily had obviously done a deal with her by allowing her to do her hair however she liked. Sarah had a thing for her hair, and had surpassed herself this morning by curling it up into an elegant knot before intertwining medium-sized flowers in a crown around her head. And it was in this attire that she was attempting to reach a peg on the wall that was at least a foot higher than she and the stool combined. 

              "Well, I'm glad you think it's funny," she snapped, jumping off the stool and letting the streamer fall. "A little help would be a little more appreciated." I took the stool from her and attempted to pin it back in place. I heard a voice from behind me as I did so. 

              "You look gorgeous…"         

              "Why thank you, Remus!" I said, jumping off the stool and handing it to Sarah, who giggled uncharacteristically. 

              Remus blushed. "I was _talking_ to Sarah," he said defensively. "And you know it."

              "I'm hurt," I told him, while looking him up and down. He'd given himself a dust off and found a mirror and a comb somewhere. "You look neat."

              "Thanks ever so," he said, rolling his eyes. James is up there – catch him before he falls, will you?"

              With less than twenty minutes left to go before the service started, James was already standing at the head of the enormous congregation (most of whom where not as yet in their seats, but milling around unconcernedly) hopping from one foot to the other. He looked quite good, actually, but I wasn't going to tell him that. 

              "How're you doing?" I asked him, hopping up onto the dais beside him. 

              "Better. That nonexistent car ride sort of put things in perspective."

              "Why don't you stand still, then?"            

              James realised what he was doing and stopped hopping.  "Sorry. Hey – see that woman in the front row?" I didn't need to ask which one. There were lots of women, but only one was wearing a flowery pink and yellow dress, white gloves, a wide brimmed hat an a superior expression. 

              "Who is it?"

              "Lily's sister, Petunia. Isn't she horrible-looking?" 

              I didn't actually think she looked all that bad, even if her mouth was curled in a way that suggested some small rodent had just died in her handbag. "Yeah," I told James, to pacify him. "Compared to Lily – most definitely." I looked at the woman sitting next to Petunia. She wasn't half bad looking, either. She looked older than me… maybe just a little bit, at least, but had clear skin and rich blonde hair under her hat. I didn't get time to ask James who it was though, because at that point Peter came up and stood beside us. 

              "How's it going?"

              "Oh, fine," I told him. "Where've you been?"

              He grimaced. "I was in charge of seating. It's been a _complete_ nightmare – give me a couple of years and I'll get Lily back for this, you wait and see."

              "Why a nightmare?" I asked. James hardly seemed interested, he was mouthing soundlessly and I knew he was rehearsing something. I knew dragon dung about weddings, so I didn't know exactly what. 

              "Wizard-Muggle relations," he replied. "The more…" he searched for the word, "_old-fashioned_ members of James' family and some people from school had to be seated as far away as possible from Lily's family. But then James' family has several different…" he searched again, "_branches_, and there are centuries-old feuds everywhere I look. Then people complain when they're not close enough to the front."

              "At least _you_ didn't get stuck in the kitchen –" I started, and proceeded to exchange nightmare-wedding stories with Peter for the next ten minutes until James got thoroughly fed up. 

              "All _right_, you two!" he hissed. "That's enough. Just try and enjoy the rest of the day, will you?"

              "Oh – James!" Peter suddenly exclaimed. "I almost forgot – I saw Snape!"

              "Snape?" I spat. "What's _Snape_ doing here?"

              "Damn. Lily must have invited him," said James, looking scandalized. "'Got to know him' apparently, when they were working on that project for the Order last month." He let his voice drop considerably while talking about the Order. 

              "WHAT? You never told me!" I protested. 

              "I didn't really think it was anything worth worrying about. Did he do anything, Pete?"

              "Nope. But guess what – he's in _Muggle clothes_!"

              "He _isn't_!" James exclaimed. 

              "He _so_ is – must be in disguise at the moment, or something. The _look _he gave me when I showed him his seat… He looks so weird – he's even tidied himself up a bit. I saw two ladies _eyeing_ him." Peter looked disgusted. He and Snivellus had been the only two boys in the year unable to get a date throughout the entire seven years of Hogwarts, and it looked like Snape was going to beat him to the first one.

              "Yuck," I said. "Doesn't even bear thinking about."

              "Oh well," James sighed. "Let's just stay out of his way. With any luck we'll be able to get through the whole wedding without anymore of us running into him. Sirius can be the one to kick him out if he causes any trouble, as best man."

              "When I get married, are you going to be doing this for me?" I asked him. 

              "That's up to you," he said with a grin. "Lucky me, I got in first. If anyone else ever asks you to be best man, you'll say no."

              I snorted at the truthfulness of this. "How much longer?"

              "Five minutes," said Remus as he ascended the stairs to the altar, grinning all over his face after his 'talk' with Sarah in the Vespers. "I saw Lily. She looks fantastic."

              "Do not tempt me, vile heathen!" James groaned. 

              "Shall I sleep downstairs tonight?" I asked him, slyly. 

              "Stop it, you prat!"

              "James? You ready?" it was the orchestral master – James' old music teacher. This was the man partly responsible for the slushy proposal at the leaving feast. James gulped. 

              "Yeah. Where's my uncle?"

              I looked around. No one could see Ignatius, and we were all starting to get really worried when someone belched loudly behind me. 

              "Oh, _Uncle!_" James sighed. Ignatius Potter had a glass in his hand that was half full of all-too-familiar orange-brown liquid. "Where did you get _that_?"

              _Bugger,_ was my first thought. _Breadcrumbs_, was my second.

              "Ale house," Ignatius burped. "Downstairs. Damn useful." 

              James groaned. "What are we going to do? He can't lead the service when he's like this!"

              "Find someone else, and hurry!" said the music instructor. 

              Luckily, this time, I was not asked to oblige. There are only so many things a best man can do. 

              "May I be of service?" said a voice from beside Peter. Standing there was a tall man with a long white beard wearing spotless turquoise robe. 

              "Professor!" James gasped. "I mean, Albus – would you? Conduct the service, I mean? My parents will go spare but we can't have a drunkard either! Lily would have my head – and she'd love you to do it, sir, I'm sure she would!"

              "You have need only to ask, James," said Dumbledore, smiling in an infuriatingly calm way. "I believe your orchestra is anxious to start?" 

              James looked over at the 'orchestra'. It consisted of four men and one woman armed with wands only. "I… wouldn't really call it an orchestra, sir."

              "Right," I said, taking charge. "Stand up straight, lads."

              The music began. The man on the far left seemed to be controlling the musical paths of several trumpets with his wand, and they began the wedding march. The other instrumentalists joined in. Everyone stood up. 

              28th July 1996

"Dah! Dah dah daaaah! Dah! Dah dah dah! Dah dah daaaah!!!!" Sirius demonstrated, waving his wand hand in a conductor-like way. "Dah! Dah dah dah! Dah –"

"Yes, all right," said Remus, looking very slightly amused. Sirius stopped conducting. 

"What? I was reaching a dramatic climax!"

              "Dramatic seizure, more like," Remus muttered, as Harry stifled a laugh. "Get on with it, will you?"

              "Oh, fine," said Sirius. "Well, there was a whole lot of music to start, then…"

              1st December 1978

              Then Lily entered the door, with her father. Her dress was pure white, and quite plain, leaving her slender arms bare. She wore no pink, as it would have made a terrible combination with her hair, which hung in a mass more than a wave down her back. In the same fashion as Sarah and the other bridesmaids, she was wearing a crown of white flowers (lilies, someone told me later) except hers had a webbed veil attached. It covered her face and upper arms, trailing behind her for about six feet.  

Lily's 'baby' cousin had the train firmly clenched in podgy hands, wearing a blue suit and a serious expression. Her father, Mr. Evans, had his arm held out formally for his daughter's hand to rest on. He was smiling softly as they walked up the aisle to the music. 

              Sarah and the others came next. There were a couple of girls from our year, Ellie and Jessica, and a couple others that were obviously Muggle friends and relatives of Lily's. The light caught the lilies on their crowns, making it look like they were wearing halos. Sarah looked over at us and winked. Her gaze was slightly to my left, and when I risked a quick glance to my side I saw Remus staring fixatedly. To my other side, James was wide-eyed at the sight of his fiancée, now less than five metres away. _Am I the only one here not totally googly-eyed? _I wondered. Just as the thought crossed my mind I noticed that Jessica Green looked particularly ravishing…

              Damn! Stop it! 

              I shook my head gently to rid it of any such thoughts while standing in a church.

 Suddenly Lily noticed Dumbledore standing at the altar, and her eyes widened slightly. Surprisingly, her gaze turned to James. She smiled at him, gratefully. 

              _She thinks it's all his idea_, I realised. _She never wanted Ignatius anyway._ On impulse, I looked towards James' parents in the front row. Ignatius was standing beside James' mother, breathing alcohol into her face as he turned to see the bride approach the altar. I had a feeling that Mr. and Mrs. Potter wouldn't blame James for making a last minute change of conductor. 

              The music faded away. The congregation sat. The bridesmaids arranged themselves on the other side, one of the younger ones taking charge of the little boy. 

              "Ladies and Gentlemen," Dumbledore started. "We are gathered here today, to witness the union of James Dominic Potter, and Lily Sara Evans. Who gives the bride away?"

              "I do," said Mr. Evans, passing Lily's hand to James, who took it with the slightest of nods in the older man's direction. Dumbledore continued.

"The vows you take today are a commitment to make a life together, knowing with the uncertainties of the future that your love for one another will remain constant through it all." He turned to James. "James Dominic Potter. Do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love, honour and comfort her, keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said James, gently, but loudly enough so that the whole place could hear. I could hear someone blowing their nose in one of the back rows.

"Lily Sara Evans. Do you take this man, to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love, honour and comfort him, keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said Lily, her face unreadable behind the veil, but we could hear the smile in her voice. 

"The exchanging of rings, symbolizes the sacred bonds that exist between you," said Dumbledore, and I realised that this was my cue. I dug my hand into my pocket for the box. I brought it out and opened it, ready to pass the rings to James and Lily – my heart did a double-take when I saw that there was only one ring in the box. 

              "As the circle of these rings knows no end, so may the love declared here today…"

              Remembering suddenly that I'd taken a ring out in the kitchen, I sighed with relief and put my hand back into my pocket. 

              "Never end and forever be renewed."

              There was nothing there.

              _Crap._

**Well, this has taken weeks, so I hope you're pleased with it. Please, please, please review to tell me how this is going!!**

**~*Laterose*~******


	4. Cake

_"The exchanging of rings, symbolizes the sacred bonds that exist between you," said Dumbledore, and I realised that this was my cue. I dug my hand into my pocket for the box. I brought it out and opened it, ready to pass the rings to James and Lily – my heart did a double-take when I saw that there was only one ring in the box. _

_          "As the circle of these rings knows no end, so may the love declared here today…"_

_          Remembering suddenly that I'd taken a ring out in the kitchen, I sighed with relief and put my hand back into my pocket. _

_          "Never end and forever be renewed."_

_          There was nothing there._

_          Crap._

****

**Loving You – Chapter 4**

****

_"Rings_, Sirius!" Remus hissed.

          Crap, crap, crap!!!

          Frantically I dug in my other pocket. Nothing.

          CRAP!!!

          Wait… something… a sweetie wrapper? I vaguely remembered munching a sugar mouse while the robes had been fitted. Doing a weird little pirouette, I tugged out the wrapper and flicked my wand gently at it. Presto, golden ring. _Please don't let either of them look too closely at it._

          Aware that the entire congregation was hiding sniggers and grins behind their hands, I handed the box, with two rings in it, to James. He raised his eyebrows at me for a brief second but was too caught up in the moment to wonder too seriously about what my wand was suddenly doing in my hand.

"Repeat after me," Dumbledore continued. And he spoke and James repeated the words.

"With this ring, I thee wed,

In love and truth

And with all my worldly goods

I thee indow."

James placed the fake ring on Lily's finger. _Don't stare at it, don't look at it… don't de-transfigure it… that spell's going to wear off in about three hours…_

Now it was Lily's turn, and she repeated the words loud and clear.

"With this ring, I thee wed,

In love and truth

And with all my worldly goods

I thee indow."

She put a ring on his finger. Dumbledore kept talking… almost a steady drone by now, and my heart was beating like a rubber drum.

"A blessing upon you from the British nation, and from the Wizarding world of all countries. Now you will feel no rain, for each will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold for each will give warmth to the other. There is no more loneliness, for each will be companion to the other. You are two persons, but before you lies but one life. Go now to your dwelling place and enter into the days of your life together. In as much as James and Lily have this day consented together in holy wedlock and have given and pledged their troth each to the other, in the presence of this company, by virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

          The congregation let out a great sigh. James' shoulders slumped considerably.

          "You may now kiss."

          James lifted Lily's veil from her face. I was struck at once by how lucky he was. Now I'm not going to go into too much detail about the next part, because there might be children present, but it was a nice moment. For everyone except me, possibly. The haughty looking woman in the front row looked quite indifferent, and I was betting that wherever Snape was, he wasn't crying. But I'm pretty sure no one else in the room was feeling cold, icy terror.

          This wasn't like me. If this had happened a couple of years ago, I would've shrugged it off and laughed about it later. But I knew Lily. If she found out the ring on her finger was in fact a glorified sugar mouse wrapper, I'd be out on my ear. Literally.

          They applauded. James led Lily down the aisle.

"Well, that's over," Remus breathed as we followed them. _For him, maybe._"What was with the little twirl?"

          Peter sniggered. I didn't think it was particularly funny.

When they reached the bottom of the aisle, James kissed Lily again. Quite a few of our old year mates stood up and whooped. Peter laughed and clapped, jumping up into the air and managing to hit his tall pointy hat on a candelabra. "FIRE!! Put it out, put it out!!"

          Remus extinguished the fire with water from his wand, leaving Peter with half a hat.

          The reception in the foyer was a pretty affair. Several small tables were being set up in the large hall at the back of the venue, and a long buffet table stretched all the way along one side. I knew this because I had to supervise the whole thing until Sarah told me to go away or she'd hex my clumsy hands off. Which was cheeky, but I was grateful for it.

          After pouring myself a glass of wine, I mingled among the guests, trying to stay as far away from the happy couple as possible, just in case. A couple of old school mates engaged me in conversation and Lily's father took every available opportunity to ask me about James. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Peter scurrying around the snacks table trying to eat everything at once without attracting too much attention. Remus had drawn Sarah to one side once she'd emerged from the hall and they were talking with their heads together. Remus looked passionate – so no doubt they were talking about some book or another. Dumbledore was talking to a group of official looking wizards – no doubt people James had already met at the academy, or possibly old friends of the family.

          While I was mingling, a woman came up beside me. She was the very attractive woman who'd been sitting in the front pew. "Hello," she said.

          "Hi."

          "You were best man, weren't you?"

          "Sure," I said, flashing her my best smile, while trying to look over her shoulder for signs of Lily, or alternatively anyone who was very good at solving my sort of problems.

          "You did very well."

          "Thanks," I said, wondering what she meant. I'd _twirled_.

          "So – how long have you known James?"

          Ah, I thought. Yet another concerned Lily-relative.

          "Ages," I told her. "Since we both started school together. He's great – Lily's really lucky. So is James, of course," I added, as though I'd only just thought it.

          She laughed. "You're sweet," she said. It had been so long since someone had told me _that_ that I started to feel that nothing normal was going to happen today. I was right. Besides, the last person who'd told me I was _sweet_ had been my older cousin Andromeda. Most girls tended to think of me as a little more than _swee_ –

          "…isn't it?"

I jumped. "What? Sorry?"

          "I said, it's Sirius Black, isn't it?"

          "Oh," I said. "Yes – very pleased to meet you, Miss…?"

          She laughed again. "_Mrs_," she corrected me. "Mrs Kate Evans."

          "Sirius?"      

          I whipped round. Lily was standing there, looking furious in a calm, cold kind of way. "Oh, Hi, Mum."

          "Lily, dear!" the woman exclaimed, embracing Lily in a firm hug and kissing her all over. "I can't believe it – my daughter, married!"

          "Your other daughter is married too," Lily pointed out.

          "Oh, I know – but Petunia is so… well, normal…" seeing that the conversation wasn't going quite as she might have liked, the woman backed off. Lily turned her wrath upon the nearest person to her. Guess who?

          "Sirius Black! Were you flirting with _my mother_?"

          I couldn't really answer that one due to the huge build up of flem that had collected in my throat while the woman I _had_ in fact been flirting with kissed Lily all over her face. "Um..." I coughed very loudly. "No."

          "You did know who she was, didn't you?" Lily asked. "We had dinner together, three weeks ago, remember?"

          I didn't have the heart nor the gut to tell her that I'd been drunk for most of that exchange, and the only thing I could remember about it was that the carpet had been an interesting shade of fuchsia. "Yes," I said. "Of course."

          Lily sighed, then smiled and threw her arms around me. "The food looks excellent," she said. "Thank you _so _much for this, Sirius."

          I hugged her back, genuinely, but feeling a little embarrassed. "I really didn't do all that much," I reminded her. "House Elves usually know what they're doing."

          "Not just the food," Lily sighed. "Being best man and everything… it means a lot to James."

          "I wouldn't have seen anyone else do it," I told her, pushing a lock of red hair behind her now slightly rumpled veil.

          "Oi!" said a voice from behind us. "Sirius, stop flirting with my wife!"

          In exasperation I threw my hands up in the air. "I give up!" I exclaimed. "Why is it that I can't talk to a woman without _someone_ thinking I'm flirting with them?"

          "Oh, I don't know," said James, talking Lily's hand. "It possibly has to do with your decidedly disreputable reputation."

          "Maybe you just shouldn't talk to women," said Flora Jenkins – a former girlfriend with a mouth like a bullfrog and ears like a fox. Metaphorically speaking, of course. She eavesdropped, she talked. Can't really remember the reason I ever went out with her…

          "Thanks, Flora," I said dejectedly.

          Lily laughed. "Oh cheer up, silly, and come sit down!" she called to me as James whisked her away to the head table. As she twirled, I saw a flash of gold on her finger and swallowed hard as the cold panic came flooding back. _Cheer up, silly._       

                   **29th** July 1996

          "That's better," Harry interrupted. "I was starting to get used to the idea of my mum being some kind of evil tyrant."

          "Only when Sirius was involved," Remus corrected him. "But you haven't heard the worst of it yet."

          "Right – sorry!" Harry said quickly.  "Keep talking!"

          "It's past midnight," Sirius complained. "Are you sure you don't want to continue this story tomorrow?"

          "Not a bloody chance," said Harry. "C'mon."

          "Oh all right…"

                   1st December 1978

          Eventually everyone got seated in the big hall. The food looked really good, if I do say so myself. And it tasted even better. "It's a shame you couldn't have our caterers, Lily dear," said Lily's mum. "But this is truly excellent."

          "Thanks to Sirius and Sarah," said James with a wink in my direction.

          "With a little help from Dwinkle and his crew," I grinned before realising - Dwinkle!! "Who… I should probably go check on!" I improvised, practically leaping out of my chair. Three seconds later, Dwinkle the house-elf found himself being thoroughly interrogated.

          "A ring," I yelled at him. "A golden ring – somewhere in the kitchen! Do you understand what I am SAYING to you??"

          "Yes sir! … No sir! … Please put Dwinkle down, sir!"

          I gulped. "Right, sorry."

          The house-elf straightened his tea-towel. "Dwinkle has seen nothing," he stated quite firmly. "No rings! Mr. Black should go and eat."

          "Yeah…" I mumbled, letting him shove me through the door.

          _I was getting closer though._

                James was slapping Peter on the back when I re-entered. He was choking on what appeared to be roast beef.  I glanced around at the other tables and almost choked myself.

          Petunia Dursley was chatting animatedly to one Snivellus Snape, who was pushing mashed potatoes around his plate with distaste while making no attempt to pretend he was listening. He wore a black silk shirt and Muggle trousers. The sight was so unusual that I very nearly tripped over my own feet, but somehow continued walking and sat back in my seat.

          "Lily, didn't you say your sister was married?"

          "Yes, why?"

          "She and Snape seem pretty friendly. Or at least, she's friendly with _him_."

          Lily's face scrunched up as my friends burst into laughter. "Oh, that's disgusting," she said. "My two least favourite people…"

          "Wouldn't you say they deserved each other?" Remus managed to say through his snorts.

          "True," said Lily, giggling. Finally giving up, I laughed as well. It felt nice that Lily didn't include me in her list of least favourite people. I picked up my fork again and continued to eat.

          The conversation went on for about two hours as everyone filled and refilled their plates. By that time I'd almost forgotten about the ring. Peter had put aside his burnt hat and had managed to get gravy in his hair without any help from me, which was a first. James and Lily couldn't keep their eyes off each other. Sarah and another of Lily's school pals got thoroughly giggly on wine.

Remus and I talked about work, of all things – he was having a hell of a time trying to rise in the ranks of the Magical Research department due to his rather unique situation – his condition, for safety reasons, had to be on all of his public records, even his wizarding passport and Ministry ID. I listened sympathetically while trying not to talk too excitedly about my own career. I suggested that maybe he should try becoming a teacher, to which he replied, "And where would I teach, Mr. Know-It-All?"

          "At a foreign wizarding school," I said immediately. "In France or America."

          He made a face. "Why not?" I asked, spearing a potato. "Foreign girls adore British guys." I might not have sounded quite sincere with an entire potato in my mouth, but _I _at least saw my point. He shook his head.

          "I can't wait till you get posted in Romania," he said. This was a particularly mean thing to say because he _knows_ I'm draconigenaphobic and Romania is the dragon capital of the world. ­

          "Funny," I told him.

          "What was that?" James asked, finally getting around to tearing his eyes away from Lily's.

          "LOOK!" Sarah suddenly exclaimed, and we all turned around. The monstrosity of a wedding cake was being wheeled through the kitchen doors. Lily gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, like girls do.

          "Oh," she said. "_Oh_."

          "Is that a good 'oh'?" I asked James.

          He grinned at me. "Definitely a good 'oh'."

          "Good."

          The cake was wheeled in front of our table by ten House Elves while the entire assembly applauded, and one of them handed James a knife. He and Lily together used it to make a large slice in the bottom layer. The applause turned to rowdy yelling. To make a long story short, cake was passed around, cake was eaten.

          Lily got that first slice. She avoided eating it for about half an hour until the table started cheering for her to at least take a bite. Smiling, she poked her fork at it – it fell in half, and lying in the middle… a golden ring, covered in crumbs.

          Oh. Crap.

          She picked it up, staring at it fixatedly. Then she looked at me. James was looking at me too. So was everyone else.

          "Um… surprise?" I said, preparing for death.

          29th July 1996

          Harry was sitting on the edge of his seat. "What did she do?" he breathed.

          Sirius laughed. "You'll never guess!"

          Harry narrowed his eyes. "Tell me. Now."

          1st December 1978

          Lily's eyes shifted from me to James. But she wasn't glaring. There were tears in her eyes. Oh god. _She's not angry, she's really, really upset. WORSE. _

          "James?" she whispered. "Did you do this?"

          Before my speechless friend could answer, she continued, "Oh, James… this is so sweet…"

          My mouth dropped open. She was PLEASED? With JAMES??? Unbelievable. They started kissing, but not before James shot me a suspicious look.

          I slid down in the seat, relieved and also annoyed. Hours of panic and she didn't even yell at me.

          I will never understand women.

          29th July 1996

          Harry's eyes lit up. "Wow," he said, putting his feet back on the carpet. Remus rolled his eyes from behind his book, which he hadn't been reading for about two hours.

          "Tell me about it," said Sirius, grinning, even as Harry yawned.

          "Bed, young man," Remus ordered. Harry made a face.

          "Remus, I'm sixteen. Normal sixteen year old boys would yell at their guardians if they ordered them around."

          "He's right," said Sirius. "I'm tired. Coming, Moony?"

          "In a second," said Remus, watching Sirius and Harry exit the room, Harry still asking hurried questions about his parents.

          Remus closed his book. Getting up slowly he went over to the window, where the drawn curtains were letting a strip of moonlight into the room. He pushed them open a little more, opened the window and leaned his elbows on the sill. Taking a deep breath of fresh night air, he though about the story they had told Harry. _You'd be proud of him,_ he told the moon silently. _If only you could see him now._

          Remus closed his eyes, and with them he closed his mind to the past. He pulled the window shut and drew the curtains once more. As he started up the stairs he threw out one final thought.

_Goodbye. _

_---------------_

Don't bother looking for that particular phobia in the dictionary. It doesn't exist.

THE END!!!! Wish me luck, all.

Love

Laterose


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